Tree protector



Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PAV'T,ENTl oFFfIcl-i EUGENE n. Mormon, or sfr. PAUL, MINNEsoTA TREE rizofrnoron Application ledfAugnst 26, 1929. Serial No. 388,307.

This invention relates to a protector for trees and other plants having a simplecon` struction, inexpensive to. manufacture and therefore providingV an economical means of I rodents. l

the mesh body of the guard and project fromV one side of the same but extend flushV with the other side;- A further feature of: the invention residesin a simple'guard made ofl wire of the desired size wherein it is not necessaryv to Lprovide transverse strengthening ribs or members owing tothe integral unit-` like structure wherein the anchoring stakes connection therewith.

Further, my invention includes a vguard having securing means in the form ofa series of hook members which are secured at the anchor stakes so that the hooks may/engage through Athe mesh about the adjacent stakeV and in this manner I provide means Aof attaching the edges of the guard so that the guard may be easily placed about a tree Vor plant by inserting the stakesainto theground adjacent each other and after the stakes are pressed into the ground the guard may be wrappedabout the tree and at thesame time hooked together'to form an annularprotection about the trunk of the tree which is primarily essential in young. growingkplants and trees. Y y f The integral 'Onunitary structure of my protector is of primary importance an'dprovides atree guardor protector Whichcan be made very economically and yet havingV a nature which is strong and s-ecure'to protect trees'when placed kabout the same, par'- ticularly'near Ythe ground line. As anjinteguard.

are virtually a part of the guard by integral lused as hereinbefore described. It will be apgral Vunit the guard or protector is more easily! handled to place the same about a tree. In carrying vout the primary' featureV of my guard in its unitary structure, thewire mesh is adapted to form the body of the protector while -theraw, ends of the same are wrapped about ythe securing or anchoring rods and spot welded or otherwise rigidly secured and fastened to the anchoring rods with one end of the rods projecting fromv the ends of the Y It is Valsoa featureofv my invention to provide a tree guard which may be made of sheet material )having a series of holes punched. therein to perforate the same and this sheet is adapted to form the body of the guard. In this structure the edges of the guard are wrapped about the rods which form the an-` choring members for securing the guard in place about a tree or other plant. When the edges are wrapped about the rods which form the anchoring members of the guard in this structure they are rigidly secured to the stakes by spot weldingor other suitable means soL as to form an integral unitary structure in the same manner as when a wire mesh is l parent that the body of the guard in each casev is sufficiently strong to obviate the necessity of any transverse reinforcing or bracing means and thereby formwith the anchoring rods at the edges a unitary economical structure of a very desirable nature.

All the features and objects will be more clearlydefined in the specification and claims. In the ,drawing forming part of this speciication:

. Figure'l is a'perspective view of my guard and protectoras it would appear in use. A,

Figure 2 shows the guard in perspective ready for use and with the edges separated andshowing -the securing hooks. f

Figure Sis a diagrammatic sectional detail of a portion of the wire mesh as it would appear wrapped around one of the anchoring roc s. Y v

Figure 4 illustrates va detailperspective of the form ofthe guard when the body thereof ismadeof perforated sheetmaterial.

' `'AI have illustrated in the drawing my tree guard or? protector A' for trees land plants 10o which'is adapted to encircle the trunk of the tree such as B, in a manner to protect the same at the ground line and as far up as may be desired. My guard A is very adaptable tc be used with young 'growing nursery stock and the body portion 10 Vof the same may be formed of wire mesh of the desired sizeso that the sun rays may be broken'up sufficient ly to prevent scalding and V blistering of the bark of the tree B and yet not so close as to cause heating inside of the guard.

The wire mesh 10 may be of any suitable nature such as a galvanized mesh or screening and the raw edges 11 of therbody 10 may be wrapped about the anchoring stake 12 by the loop portion 13 ofthe mesh, as illustrated in- Figure 3, and the raw edge .11 spot welded to the stake 12 and the body 10 in a manner so as to -form an integral structure between the body 10 and the -anchoring stake 12. Where a wire mesh is used for the body 10 ofthe guard A two anchoring stakes 12 are provided, each of which are secured so as to integrally connect the same withY the Vmesh and thereby rigidly connecting the stakes ,to the body 1'0 of the guard The stakes `12 are Vformed with anchoring; or projecting ends 13 which are adapted to project from the low-er edge 14 of the guardA sufiiciently so that the ends 13 of the stakes 12 may be anchored in the ground, as illustrated in Fi ure 1. Y.

long one of the edges in which the stakes 12 are secured I provide a series of fastening hooks 15 which may be made of wire or other suitable material. Thesehooks are secured in a manner so that the unitary structure of the guard A may be placed about the trunk B of the tree'or plant with the ends 13 of the stakes 12 adjacent each other and then by pressing'these projecting ends ofthe stakes 12 into the ground the guard A is simultaneously wrapped about the trunk B of the tree or plant and at the same time the hooks 15 are engaged over the adjacent rod 12 at the adj acent edge of the guard A and the hooks are then bent if desired to anchor the adjacent edges of the guard connected together as illustrated in Figure 1. ThisV secures the guard A in a manner to extend annularly about the trunk B of the tree, thereby protecting the same against. rabbits, mice and otherrodents which are so detrimental to young growing nursery stock.

.l 4`Vhen the guard A is made as illustri-ated in Figured withthe body por-tion 1Q made of perforated sheet material which may be a galvanized metal or other rust resisting maj terial, the integral structure is such as to form a very iirmand rigid guard. This form of guard is strong,durable andvery desirable. The openingsl16 in this form of the guard may of any ldesired size ornature so as toV give the proper ventilation inside of .the

guard and small enough to protect the article about which the guard is placed:

In this structure illustrated 1n Figure 4,

ythe anchoring rods 12 are secured by wrapping the edges of the body 10 about the same and spot welding the parts together or anchoring the stakes. 12 and the .body 10 to connect them integrally in any other suitable manner. The hooks 15 in this structure may be made of wire or other suitable material and are adapted toV engagev about the Yadjacent edges and around. the rods 12 to securely fasten the lguard Ay about'the plant or tree as illustrated in Figure 1. ,Y

In the formation of my guard A it is essential that an y economical structure be provided, otherwise an article of this nature isv prohibitive for use because if it is of a complicated nature and expensive to manufacture,

the nurseries cannot afford to use them,-

neither can they be readily sold to the trade. However, with the simple unitary structure herein .disclosed and set forth IV have found that a ready use and demand is apparent and an article of this nature is very desirable because of its value in protecting nursery Stock, trees and other plants,particularlyduring the early period of their growth. The unitary structure permits the same to be used conveniently and is of primary importance because itprovides a guard virtually in a.

single piece. structure which may be easily at'- tached and having no parts which will disengage onefrom the other, and thereby pro-k viding a very desirable guard. It will be apparentthat this structure isfimportant in forming and providing an economical guard of the nature hereinbefore set forth.

In accordance with the patent statutes I tegrally and rigidly secured thereto, said anchoringrods projecting from one end of the said body portion, and a plurality of `hook-like connecting members adapted (t0 engage through the mesh about thev adjacent rod to thereby connect said rods and the ends of said body portion to form. an annular protector. j 1 f Y 2. A tree guardor protector including, a meshed fabric body portion, a` pair of anchoring rods for the ends of said body porv tion, loops formed-by saidk body portion 'ex-- said rods and said body portion to rigidly attending around saidA rods and spot-Welded to tach said rods to the free ends of said body portion, and hooks carried byone of said rods adapted to hook over the other of said rods through the mesh to close said protector around a tree. s

3. A tree guard including, a perforated mesh-like body portion, anchoring rods for the free ends of said body portion, loops formed by bending the ends oi said body portion about said rods, and anchoring the ends to the body and said rods by spot-Welding, and hooks for closing said tree protector around a tree.

. *Y EUGENE N. MOLITOR. 

